


VOILA!

by Johncowdrey



Category: Endeavour (TV)
Genre: Edinburgh, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:54:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25128838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Johncowdrey/pseuds/Johncowdrey
Summary: Morse visits Joan in Edinburgh, Morse solves problem for Joan, Paul Marlock makes a cameo apperance, tales of the unexpected
Relationships: Endeavour Morse/Joan Thursday
Comments: 9
Kudos: 7





	VOILA!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Linda for editing and posting, my second FIC, different from the first.

VOILA!  
1971  
Morse is sitting at his desk in Castlegate Police station, trying not to yawn. He’s reading the files of last resort - the cold case files.  
It has been a very boring week. He’s complained to his boss, D.C.I Thursday whose response was;  
“Make the most of it while you can son”  
Speaking of Thursday, he has just arrived in the main office  
“For you “the D.C.I says throwing Morse a white envelope.  
“From Joan, she sent it to us as she doesn’t know your new address. Don’t get your hopes up Morse, Joan is engaged to her boss at the Welfare now” the D.C.I. says in a disapproving voice.  
The smile falls from Morse’s face.  
The letter says:  
Dear Morse,  
Very sorry not to have said goodbye, but my move to Edinburgh  
happened very quickly.Congrats about your new house, I’d love  
to see it.  
I hope you have patched things up with Dad now. We’ve got a  
spare room at the flat at the moment, and I would love you to  
come and visit. I could show you the sights and we could have  
a catch up.  
Have put my card in the envelope, so no excuses, don’t say no.  
Phone me  
Love Joan x  
P.s.Pleased to hear you’re always mine !

Morse makes his way to the D.C.I’s office and knocks firmly.  
“Come in” Thursday says loudly in his usual way.  
“Have you a got second sir?; Joan has invited me to Edinburgh for the weekend. It would be really nice to see her again, and to see Edinburgh of course. I have never been.”  
“Well, you’ve got some time owing, and it’s very quiet here, so o.k.”  
Thursday pauses.  
“Just remember what I said about Joan, Morse”  
Looking at the clock Thursday goes on  
“In fact it’s 3.30 pm, and as tomorrow’s Friday, you might as well  
go now.”  
“Thanks very much sir,” Morse says on his way out.  
“Someone’s got a spring in their step, got a hot date or something, Matey?” asks Sergeant Strange with a wink. (Morse’s best friend on the force.)  
“Joan Thursday has invited me to Edinburgh for the weekend Jim”  
“You’re honoured Morse, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do”  
Jim failed to see the D.C.I standing right behind him.  
Laughing all over his face Morse says  
“I’ll give her your regards Jim”

It’s very difficult to do a crossword on the bus, stopping and starting,  
pushing and shoving, and the crowds. All interfering with his train of thought.  
Morse definitely does not like buses.

After entering his house, Morse checks his post. No bills, thank god.  
He thinks, he’s going to need all his spare cash for Edinburgh.  
Beans on toast for tea with a nice bottle of lukewarm Radford’s,  
just the job.  
First, however he must dial a familiar number.  
“Hello, Win Thursday here.”  
“Hello Mrs Thursday, Morse here. I am going to Edinburgh to see  
Joan tomorrow, is there anything you want me to tell her or take to her on your behalf?”  
“That’s lovely of you to call, but I only spoke to her a couple of days ago. She said she hoped you would visit. Just give her my love please”  
“Will do Mrs Thursday, bye.”  
Such a shame, what a lovely couple they would have made, Win ponders.  
Next, Morse needed to find out the times of the trains leaving Kings Cross London for Edinburgh.  
Lastly he has to phone Joan to finalise arrangements for meeting her tomorrow. Luckily it turned out she had a car at her disposal, and they agreed to meet at 5 p.m. outside Waverley station.  
After his evening meal Morse can’t decide whether to listen to music or strip wallpaper before a bath and bed, and as he expected Wagner wins.  
After a good night’s sleep, washed and shaved and tea and toast, Morse sets out for Kings Cross ,via Paddington and the Underground.  
He arrives in plenty of time to buy his 2nd class ticket for the 12.15 train, which is on time and at platform 5 with just 1 stop at York.  
Morse finds his carriage, and gets in .He puts his small suitcase on the rack and by his side is the Times book of difficult crossword puzzles.  
By the time they arrive in York Morse has all but finished them.  
At York Morse decides to stretch his legs, as the train is not due to leave for 20 mins. While drinking a cup of very ordinary black coffee in the station buffet, he decides that he much prefers steam to diesel. Even if they are dirtier and smellier.  
Morse is not over keen on change!  
On the 2nd leg of his journey Morse decides to have a doze. Before dropping off he wonders if Joan has really found someone who deserves her or if she is treading the well worn path littered with her rubbish boyfriends.  
5 hours after leaving Kings Cross the train pulls into Waverley station Central Edinburgh.  
Walking towards the exit, Morse can see Edinburgh Castle above him, to his left and to his right what must be the world famous Princes street.  
These pale into insignificance when he sees Joan straight ahead, waving her arms like crazy to attract his attention.  
Mini- skirt, white blouse, matching shoes, impeccable make up, and a youthful ponytail.  
She takes his breath away.  
“Morse I’m so pleased to see you, did you have a good journey, you must be starving. Tea and toast, I’ll bet that’s all you’ve had all day”  
Thick and fast the questions came from an excited Joan.  
It seems Morse is Joan’s only visitor in the 10months she’s lived here which Morse thinks is a real shame.  
Driving through town Joan points out some places of interest.  
“Is your flat near here Joan?”  
“Yes quite near, it’s a 3 bedroom flat in the Newtown area, which is a bit of a misnomer really as all the properties were built in Georgian times, but don’t worry ours has all the mod.cons.”  
They soon pull up outside a very imposing mansion block built of granite.  
“How on earth can you afford to live here Joan, the rent must cost a fortune”  
I don’t, the flat is council owned, and the rent is heavily subsidised. All part of my secondment contract, and I have 2 flatmates to help with all the bills although one is away at the moment, that’s your room.”  
Once they are inside the flat Joan announces,  
“Right the grand tour, this is the communal lounge, my bedroom is through this door, you’re next door to me, and Helen is at the end of the corridor. Then to the left is the kitchen ,and to the right is the loo.”  
“Wow Joan it’s great shame your Mum and Dad haven’t seen your flat”  
“Yes it is nice” says Joan proudly.  
“If it’s all right, I’d like to put my things away and have a shower”  
“Great “says Joan  
“I’ll start dinner, and we’ve got plenty of wine” she say’s giving Morse a knowing wink.  
Coming out of the bathroom, in his bathrobe he notices Joan has just put the phone down.  
“Hmmmmm something smell’s good Joan”  
“Well I hope you’ve got a good appetite Morse, Helen’s not coming home tonight so we’ve got the flat to ourselves”  
Joan notices his embarrassed expression, and can’t resist saying  
“Don’t worry Morse, I’m not about to take advantage, your virtue is safe with me, mores’ the pity”.  
They both start laughing.  
“I hope she’s not staying away on my account?”  
“No she’s staying with her boyfriend, mind you I’ve told her how gorgeous you are and she probably thinks she would be playing gooseberry all night “Joan says giving Morse a nudge.  
With that Joan goes back in the kitchen to finish dinner.  
Morse realises he can’t think of anything he’d like better than to be taken advantage of by Joan Thursday.  
Joan is a very good cook, and dinner is delicious, washed down with plenty of good wine. A real success!  
They are both in good spirits as they laugh and joke about old times, with Morse and Jim and occasionally Jakes being the butt of her quick wit.  
Morse finally takes the bull by the horns and asks Joan about her fiancé.  
“His name is Bernard Smith; he’s a director of the Welfare Service (operations) for West Lothian. My boss, well sort of. He’s a bit old fashioned Morse, even by your standards. I am sure some of his suits were owned by Harold Macmillan. His first wife died young and childless. He is very anxious to have children, and I am almost 30 now and I can feel the old biological clock ticking. He’s good to me and I know I could do a lot worse, as you well know Morse.”  
Morse’s first thought was that love doesn’t seem to be playing a very big part in this romance, is Joan making another big mistake?  
“But what about your love life Morse?”  
“Well since you told me and my cup of coffee to get lost, only 2 really. the first was a young mum who lived out Chigley way, she was the mother of a young boy. They both seemed to like me very much, we went to a pub for our first date, and we got on really well and I kissed her goodnight, I had high hopes the relationship might develop, but your Dad took a dim view, and let me know in no uncertain terms. Well, I had to arrest her for murder a few days later, I felt devastated.”  
“My god Morse how awful. So Dad was right then”  
“So it seems Joan”  
“What happened to the little boy?”  
“They lived together with the boy’s Grandfather, the local Vet, and when the mother went to prison, the Grandfather carried on looking after the boy. I believe your colleagues are keeping an eye on the situation.”  
Satisfied by Morse’s answer Joan nods her head.  
“Surely you must have done better with no.2”  
“You would think so wouldn’t you?”  
“I met her in Italy at the Opera, she was very beautiful, and we had a one night stand, that’s all I thought it would be. When I got back to England, she was here in Oxford married to a man I had been at University with.”  
Joan gasps  
“The one night stand developed into a full blown affair, which became very fraught. She wouldn’t leave her husband, probably because he was very wealthy, and I wasn’t. To cut a long story short they were both involved in an insurance fraud that included murder. Your Dad and I had to go to Venice to sort it out. That’s why we were away when you moved, afraid I can’t say much more Joan because it’s “a case in progress”.  
By this time Joan Thursday’s mouth was wide open and her eyes were out on stalks.  
“Well what can I say Morse” Joan says in mock admiration.  
“I can’t believe you’re the same bloke that was too shy to ask me out. The same bloke who asked me to marry him, but forgot to say I love you. The same bloke who refused my offer of a cup of coffee in my flat. What changed you Morse? Taking risks, I mean?” Joan said intently  
“I suppose seeing a young dead copper at my feet, someone I was supposed to be looking out for. It suddenly dawned on me life was all about taking risks Joan”  
Joan moved across the sofa, and hugged Morse saying “ I’m sorry I didn’t know”.  
A few minutes later she said,  
“Fancy a cup of tea Morse.”  
While Joan was out in the kitchen, Morse was deep in thought.  
.After a few minutes Joan came back into the lounge carrying 2 enamel mugs.  
“This one’s no sugar”  
“Thanks” says Morse  
With that he slides across the sofa towards Joan, and takes her hands in his.  
“It’s been really great to see you again, reminisce, have a few laughs and a bit of a flirt, but I think there’s something worrying you.”  
With that Joan gives a sigh and goes and gets her handbag, and finds inside a large white envelope which she gives to Morse.  
“I didn’t want to involve you in all of this, but I’ve got nowhere else to turn, I certainly couldn’t tell Dad as you will see for yourself. Dad would have a fit if he saw what’s in the envelope. My very own personal nightmare has come back to haunt me from 4 years ago. I’m at my wits end, please help me Morse. Paul Marlock blackmailed me with these before the robbery.”  
Morse examines the contents of the envelope on Joan’s coffee table.  
Three postcard sized photos black and white of Joan and Paul Marlock in very compromising positions on a grubby looking double bed. Joan was wearing only a very brief pair of panties. Marlock was in a pair of briefs, the inference being that intercourse was about to take place or had taken place.  
“I’m not an expert Joan but they look genuine to me. Did you and Marlock...?”  
“NO, I DID NOT, A BLOODY FLASH HARRY BINGO CALLER, DON’T YOU THINK I COULD DO BETTER THAN THAT!” Joan screams, she is furious.  
“I can’t believe this is happening again, and if your first response is to think the worst of me who will believe me?” Joan is very close to tears.  
“Up until I met that bastard Morton, I was a virgin, yes a virgin at 25, I had this strange old fashioned notion about saving myself for my husband, which for a long time I hoped would be you”  
By this time Joan was pretty much hysterical, although he tried his best to calm her down.  
“Look Joan, if we’re to sort this out you’ve got to stay focused, tell me how this came about”.  
Joan dried her eyes.  
“He gave me enough tranquilisers to knock out an elephant that’s how. “Marlock was being a real pest. The only reason I started hanging out with him was to make you jealous, and I did didn’t I?”  
Morse couldn’t deny this.  
“Anyway he phoned me at home (something I asked him not to do).He asked me to go to a private party at the Bingo hall. Free drinks, food and a disco. I had nothing to do so I went. Paul Marlock was DJing and his choice of music was crap! Everybody was so nice to me, but I soon realised the whole charade was for my benefit. Throughout the evening I was constantly asked about the bank. What did I do there, how many worked there, what time do you have to arrive, and leave. That sort of thing. I began to smell a rat so I said I had to leave. They insisted I had “one for the road” I agreed and immediately felt light headed, and then sick and sleepy. Marlock got involved and said that I needed to lie down. So I was taken to an upstairs room with a large bed in it, and I promptly passed out. Marlock woke me up the next day with a cup of very sweet tea. He told me it would make me feel better, and not to worry as my virtue is still intact”  
Joan went on “It was then I noticed I was only wearing a pair of skimpy panties, I was absolutely horrified, and got dressed as quickly as I could. I found a phone and told Mum I’d stayed round Gillian’s house. Luckily Dad had been out all night too, probably with you. On the way out I was told to keep my mouth shut, they didn’t bother with the bit about if I knew what was good for me. Marlock also said he would be in touch, which didn’t reassure me one little bit. I just felt so dirty and stupid, me the daughter of a D.I. falling for an old trick like that. Well, worse was to come Morse, a few days later they told me unless I co-operated ,my family, the bank, my boyfriend meaning you, plus any one else they could think of would get a copy of the photos. They showed me 9 photos altogether and they gave me 3, they kept the rest. For the 3 photos and their promise to destroy the rest, i had to tell them everything I knew about the bank. So I did, and the rest is history, 2 people died, others will have nightmares for the rest of their lives, and I had a complete nervous breakdown, ran away to Leamington to ruin myself in the eyes of my father by shacking up with an older married man.”  
Morse was completely out of his depth, it was months of unbearable pain, shame and guilt coming to the surface after being hidden by Joan for 4 years, as Joan sobbed continually. AII Morse could think of was to hold her until she felt better. Perhaps that’s all she ever needed.  
When Joan had recovered, Morse suggested they leave looking at the letter and envelope till the morning. They chastely kissed on the lips said goodnight and went to their respective rooms.  
The next morning; after Joan had finished showering, she got dressed and went to the lounge. She wasn’t surprised to see Morse was already there pouring over the envelope and letter.  
“Found anything” she said breezily  
“Not really. It’s odd though why someone would take the risk of hand delivering it, and someone who knows you don’t live alone as they wrote private on it. Who is Colin Campbell Joan?”  
“He is a petty criminal who enjoys knocking his wife around when he’s drunk and not in prison. I’m testifying against him in a couple of week’s time”  
“Well someone doesn’t want you to. Making these threats against an official is blackmail and attempting to pervert the course of justice is much more serious than a G.B.H charge.”  
Morse reads the letter again.;  
KNOW THAT IF YOU GIVE EVIDENCE AGAINST COLIN CAMPBELL  
IN 10 DAYS TIME, SIMILAR PHOTO’S WILL BE SENT TO YOUR  
FAMILY, FIANCE AND EMPLOYER.  
“This chap has got 3 photos is that right Joan?”  
“Yes “she answers.  
“Do you know where we can find this Colin Campbell, Joan?”  
“On remand somewhere, I should think”  
“Let’s have some breakfast “  
While Joan was preparing breakfast, Morse decided to track down Marlock last known owner of the photos. He remembered Marlock had been very lucky in that they couldn’t make the murder charge stick, and they could only get him on accessory charges. So he got sent to Wormwood Scrubs while the rest of the gang went to Parkhurst on the Isle of Wight. To obtain the prison’s phone number he rang directory enquiries. On phoning the prison he was delighted to learn that Marlock had recently been transferred to Edinburgh H. M.P. for his own protection.  
Joan called out “breakfast’s ready”  
With that Morse joined Joan in the kitchen, and sat down at the breakfast bar.  
Morse told Joan of his progress, and that the next job was to speak to Edinburgh prison.  
“Hello, is that Edinburgh H.M.P? This is Det. Sergeant. Morse of the Thames  
Valley Police, I need to speak to one of your prisoners today, it’s about a possible blackmail and perversion of the course of justice charge. Welfare officer Joan Thursday will be accompanying me. Yes, we will bring I.D. The prisoner’s name is Paul Marlock”.  
“Right Joan we’re on, we can see Marlock today “  
“Great” Joan says as she comes out of the kitchen after doing the washing up.  
Joan starts to consult her road map, and finds it’s on the west of the city on the A 71.  
“Should be easy to find Morse”  
“Most prisons are” he says a touch sarcastically.  
Joan playfully flicks him with a tea towel.  
About 40 minutes after setting off, they pull up outside a massive castle like structure built from granite. Morse looks it over while Joan parks, portcullis, arrow slits mullioned windows and castellated walls. All that’s missing is a moat and draw bridge he thinks.  
When Joan returns she remarks to Morse “how depressing”  
“That’s the idea I suppose”.  
They join a small queue of people waiting to see the prisoners. They have to be searched along with their belongings, and most are not very happy about it.  
Joan and Morse reach the end of the line at last and they show the officer their credentials, and Morse says “D.S.Morse and Welfare Officer Joan Thursday, we would like to see prisoner Paul Marlock.”  
The officer in charge checks his clipboard and calls another officer over.  
“Please escort these visitors to Interview Room 3 “.  
The enormous guide, who resembled Jim Strange shows them the way to the room where Paul Marlock is waiting, and Joan walks in, dreading meeting him again.  
“Try not to throttle the little scumbag”, the guide says cheerfully.  
Morse just smiles.  
Morse opens the creaky door for Joan, and follows her to a plain deal table, where 2 chairs were waiting side by side. Opposite sits an extremely seedy version of the dapper, and cocky bingo caller of 4 years ago.  
While Morse lays out the 3 pictures, Joan looks and shudders.  
“Well, well if it isn’t the lovely Joan Thursday come to see me again, and Det.Sergeant something or other Morse, still keeping your name a secret are you Sergeant? I know Joan works in Edinburgh as a supervisor in the Welfare Office, you’ve done well” he says creepily.  
“But what about you Sergeant, what are you doing so far from home? “Perhaps you come up here every so often to warm the fragrant Miss Thursday’s bed Hmmmmm?” Marlock says lasciviously.  
“Steady Morse let him have his say; he’s just trying to wind you up”.  
Morse nods and grits his teeth.  
To further unsettle his visitors Marlock has positioned himself with his back to the window so the late morning sun shines directly In their eyes.  
“Or maybe” he continues “You’ve come to bring me a wedding invitation, sorry to disappoint, but I’m engaged here for the foreseeable future, I’ll tell you what though, if my experience is anything is anything to go by, she won’t disappoint on your wedding night”.  
By now Marlock is virtually drooling with pleasure.  
“You know Joan; I don’t think we should bother”  
“Bother with what” Marlock says while lighting a roll up.  
“Saving you from an extra 5-10 years in prison for being an accessory to a serious crime”. Morse says leaning menacingly across the table.  
“Look Marlock, let’s just cut to the chase” he says while grabbing Marlock by the lapels of his prison jacket.  
“Where the fuck are the rest of these fucking pictures?”  
“No need to get excited Sergeant, just my little joke, no hard feelings.”Marlock smiles smarmily.  
“Charlie Nesbitt has them; the bastard borrowed them off me, and never returned them.”  
“What do mean borrowed them”  
“They’re a nice little earner Sergeant; I hire them out to my fellow cons for a roll up each. Men in here get lonely and Joan is very pretty you know Sergeant.”  
Morse nearly thumps him and Joan feels sick.  
“Do you know Colin Campbell?”  
“Never heard of him Sergeant”  
“Can we go now” says a very white looking Joan  
As they leave briskly, Marlock thinks, that didn’t go too badly, knowing he had dropped his mate in it.  
After Joan had visited the loo, they made their way down to enquires, Morse shows the man behind the glass window his Warrant card and asks for Charlie Nesbitt’s last known address.  
He writes it out in duplicate.  
Top floor;  
28B Albert st  
Muirhead  
Edinburgh  
W.Lothian  
Joan leans over to look “I know it Morse, it’s on my patch”  
Joan knowing the area could be a big help, thinks Morse, and save some time too.  
As they drive through some of the most deprived areas in Scotland Morse was shocked by what he sees. Why would Joan want to work in a shithole like this when she’s been used to Oxford, she must be dedicated he thought, but he certainly wasn’t too happy about it.  
Eventually they arrived outside no.28.  
“No argument Joan, you’re staying in the car this could be dangerous.”  
“Morse I’m quite.........”  
“That’s the deal, you either stay in the car or we go home. I don’t fancy walking home if the car gets nicked”  
“Ha ha ha” Joan says in mock humour as she folds her arms and sulks but agrees to stay in the car.  
Morse gets out and looks at the buttons by the side of the door, and presses no. 28b.  
While examining the peeling paint on the front door, it opens, and a woman in her mid-forties is standing there in her dressing gown.  
“Good morning Madam I’m Detective Sergeant Morse of the Thames Valley Police force. I need to speak to Mr Charles Nesbitt “he says while brandishing his Warrant card.  
“You’re a long way from home laddie, what’s he done now?”  
“Sorry, I can’t discuss it Madam, but I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t serious”.  
She told Morse he was probably in the Scottish Thistle pub across the road, at least until closing time.  
Thanking her he crosses the road conscious that Joan’s eyes are on him all of the time.  
The door of the shabby pub is open, being a Saturday lunch time the pub is crowded , some are in Hibernian shirts (the local football team)waiting to go to the match, others are filling in betting slips for the Betting shop next door ,most are just talking in the local dialect.  
Overall Morse’s first impression is the smell, tobacco smoke, stale beer, body odour and menace. Morse wonders how they stand it.  
The bar is covered in empty glasses and wet bar towels.  
“Can I help you pal?” the bar man asks.  
Discreetly showing him his warrant card “Charlie Nesbitt?”  
The barman points to a bald, wiry man drinking alone at a table near the toilet.  
Morse makes his way over with his heart beating furiously.  
“Charlie Nesbitt?”  
“Who wants to know Sassenach?”  
“The police, you’ve landed yourself in a whole pile of shit, Charlie. You’re this close.”  
Morse say’s indicating with his thumb and forefinger,” to being arrested for blackmail, perverting the course of justice and anything else I can think of. At the moment this is a private matter, but if you piss me about, you’re going down for 10 years”  
Morse thinks that Fred Thursday would be proud of him.Morse leans right over the table and says very threateningly, “Now hand over those fucking pictures!”  
Without a word, but with very bad grace Charlie passes them to Morse. After checking them he puts them in his jacket inside pocket,  
“No hard feelings “Morse says handing over a £5 note.  
Morse then goes off to the bar to get 2 double Glenfiddich whiskies. On his way he notices a public call box in the corner.  
After their little chat, Morse wanders over to the phone box hoping someone will be there.  
Thankfully Joan is waiting in the car still, with a fretful look on her face.  
Morse knows that Joan likes a joke so he decides to play one on her for a change.  
Putting a mournful look on his face he approaches the car.  
Joan is biting her finger nails and looking very anxious.  
Morse appears at the passenger side window shaking his head, and Joan is very close to tears as she reaches across to wind down the window and she asks “How did it go?”  
Morse suddenly shouts “VOILA” and pulls the photos out of his pocket like a conjurer pulling a rabbit out of a top hat.Joan is reduced to tears of joy, and punches Morse hard on the arm.  
“You bastard, why did you scare me like that?”  
“Sorry Joan I just couldn’t resist it.” Laughs Morse  
Joan counts them.  
“3, at last I’ve got all 6 surviving copies”  
Joan grabs Morse, and soon she’s kissing him like she’s eating him alive.  
Joan soon realises they have an audience, and red faced she starts the car, and drives off.  
On the way home Joan says “You know, you really are the business”  
She goes on to say” Do you like Italian food Morse? My treat”  
Morse protests that she has spent too much and he should pay. They eventually agree on a compromise to go Dutch.  
Morse suddenly pipes up “Well I’ve always liked your Mum’s spag bol”  
Joan laughs “It’s not quite the same”  
“I’ve got an idea as well Joan, why don’t we burn the photos ceremonially in that brass dish you’ve got, and then toss all the ashes out of window”  
“Bloody good riddance” Joan says.  
The traffic on the way home is pretty bad, as there is a local derby football match Hibs versus Hearts on this week-end.  
When they arrive back Joan goes to book dinner, and Morse starts to tear up the photos into the dish.  
They‘ve decided to have dinner a bit early as Morse has to leave the next day.  
Joan comes out of the kitchen carrying a bottle of Chianti and 2 glasses.  
They pour out the wine and Joan lights the scraps of paper, and they both cheer and toast each other, clinking glasses. When there is just black ash left, Morse carries the bowl over to the open window and tips the contents out to be blown away by the 4 winds.  
Joan repeats herself saying “bloody good riddance” as she drains her glass of wine, and sits down.  
“Another one Joan?”  
“Not for the moment, thanks anyway”  
Joan looks at him intently “What’s the matter Morse, you look so pensive? Cheer up we’re going out tonight to celebrate”  
“A few things I’d like to talk to you about, regarding these photos”  
“Why” Joan says “you got the prints back, that’s all that matters”  
Morse comes over and sits next to her.  
”Charlie hadn’t a clue who Colin Campbell was but he knew you, He told me he stole the pictures for you but you couldn’t meet his price of £70 so he gave you 3 out of 6 for the money you gave him. He felt bad about that, but business is business”

Morse goes on “I guess you’ve seen Marlock recently too, as he knew where you worked. He obviously wouldn’t return the photos to you, that’s why you got Charlie to steal them.”  
All this time Joan sat silently looking at her feet, avoiding eye contact.  
“Finally, we come to Bernard .I thought he didn’t exist .after listening to you talk about him he really did not seem your type. Your office hadn’t heard of Bernard Smith either. So I looked in your room, photos of all your family, but no one who could remotely be Bernard”.  
“You looked in my room, how bloody dare you check up on me like this?”  
Joan stares Morse in the eye.  
“Why couldn’t you just leave things alone? We had the photos back, we could have had a lovely meal, and then spent the night together in my bed, as I planned, happy memories all round?”  
Joan pauses for breath  
Morse just stands there in shock at her tirade.  
Joan carries on, “But no, you had to play Morse, the great detective. Ruining everything by over thinking everything, how dare you interrogate me in my own flat? I think you had better go now Morse”  
Morse goes to pack.  
On his way out Morse says “Joan I’m so sorry “  
“Just go Morse”  
Joan looks out of the window, and sees Morse trudging down the road with his small suitcase.  
She rushes over to the phone and dials a familiar number.  
“Hello darling, it’s Joan. Is she there? Can we talk? Yes it worked like a charm he got them back no fuss. Normally he would never have done it not even for me. He would have said sorry, it was a local matter, but Morse is a sucker for 2 things, a puzzle, and a damsel in distress, and he got both. So darling, when you get your divorce and we announce our engagement the News of the World can look until hell freezes over and only have the word of criminals for its gossip columns. Yes he believed I had flatmates. No he won’t say anything he’s besotted by me. Goodnight my sweet I’ll see you tomorrow at seven as usual.”  
When his divorce comes through, having a respectable fiancée will have served its purpose, Joan thinks.  
Keeping Dad away! Stop him from meddling in my, life interfering with who I see, or don’t see. After all getting away from Dad is why I left in the first place.

EPILOGUE  
7 months later  
Morse is sitting at home in his favourite chair. He has just finished reading the front page of The Oxford Mail for the 3rd time.  
It has a picture of a radiant Joan Thursday, and a prematurely grey haired man in his early forties, with a face that looks older than its years. In the middle of the page the Headline says;  
Local girl to marry new Home Secretary, and goes on to say how proud  
D.C.I Thursday and Mrs Thursday are to announce the engagement of their only daughter Joan to .........  
Further on Joan confirms she will be fighting the forthcoming By-Election for Oxford Central on behalf of the Conservative party.

Meanwhile, he is congratulating himself for rescuing the most damning photo of Joan Thursday and Marlock from the flames. He puts it in an envelope addressed to the News of the World whispering “If I can’t have her.........”

THE END

**Author's Note:**

> Nod to Whatever the Moon.


End file.
